Sparkles in the Sky
by Mschanadlerbong26
Summary: 4th of July one-shot. Contains all characters but mostly centers on Mondler. Very random and written out of the blue, so don't know how good it is, but please read and review and let me know what you think!


**Sparkles in the Sky **

"Mommy? Why is the sky exploding?" Five year old Jack Bing climbed into Monica's lap, and stared at her with his wide, curious blue eyes.

Monica, a bit hazy after being pulled from her daydreaming, startled at the sound of her son's voice. She forced a smile and patted his head. "That's just fireworks, honey."

"I want Daddy to see! He's missing them," jack pouted.

"Where is Daddy?" Erica added. She and their cousins, Emma and phoebe and mike's son, Diego. Had been in the Bing's backyard pool, but now Erica, her hair dripping and her face hopeful, stood by her mother's side.

Monica grabbed a towel from the chair beside her and wrapped Erica into it.

"He's... Out," Monica answered, as she rubbed the towel along Erica's arms. That was the truth. Monica really didn't know precisely

where chandler was. Just that he ran out after their argument. The painful argument that Monica regretted every minute of. She could hardly remember what it was about anymore.

Erica climbed onto Monica's other lap. Monica sat, watching the fireworks, her one of her beautiful children on each leg, surrounded by all her best friends. It should have been a perfect, happy moment, but it wasn't.

"You doing okay, Mon?" Rachel asked, putting an arm around her best friend.

Monica sighed. There was so much she wanted to say, but couldn't in front of the kids.

"He'll come back. He just needs to blow off some steam. That happens with Ross and me sometimes. We just need a little time away from each other to cool off, and then we see each other again and we forget why we were fighting in the first place."

"But he's been gone since this morning," Monica replied. "And we never fight for this long. And I am always the one mad at him. He's never mad at me."

Rachel hugged Monica closer to her. They looked up at the sky, at the fireworks exploding various colors.

Yellow. Green. Red, white, and blue, for the holiday. An orangey-reddish color. Purple. Monica's favorite color. Chandler leaned against the steering wheel, watching the fireworks through his windshield, wishing for the warm embrace of his wife and the sound of his children laughing as they pulled his toes and mussed his hair and then climbed in his lap for a kiss and a cuddle. But because of the fireworks that had exploded earlier that day he was here in the parking lot of the playground instead of the down the block in his backyard.

Something about wanting to be organized for the 4th of July barbecue. Chandler joking too much, Monica too finicky. Who even knew? Chandler picked up his phone, dialed Joey.

"Chandler?" Joey's cheerful but muffled voice rose through the phone. His mouth was clearly full of food.

"Hey."

"Where are you, man?"

"I'm down the block, at the playground. Just thinking. How's Monica?"

"Dude, she misses you. You should come back, man."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's all sad. Hugging Rachel. I spilled some ketchup on the table just to see what would happen and she didn't even notice it yet. That's not Monica."

"So you don't think she's still mad at me?"

"I can ask..."

"Forget it. It's okay, Joey. I'm coming home."

"Are those sparkles, mommy?" Erica asked, pointing up at the fireworks.

"That's what they look like," Jack agreed.

"Those are called fireworks," Monica explained. "Do you remember seeing them last year?"

Jack and Erica shook their heads in unison.

"I want to call them sparkles. Like my sparkle nail polish. They're pretty," Erica stared up at the sky. "I hope Daddy gets here quick so he doesn't miss them."

"Hey, Pheebs," Monica called to Phoebe, who cuddled a half asleep two-year-old Diego in her arms. "Why don't you play us that Fourth of July song now?" She needed to distract her kids.

"Sure!" Phoebe exclaimed. She transferred Diego over to Mike's arms and pulled her guitar out from its case under her chair.

"Independence day," Phoebe sang, as she strummed along. "What can i say? Fireworks in the sky. And I hope I never die. La la la la. The fireworks sparkle-"

"See? Aunt Phoebe thinks they're sparkles, too," Erica chimed in.

"They do look like sparkles, sweetie. I've always thought the same thing," a voice said from behind.

Monica turned around and saw chandler standing there, a small smile lighting his face.

"Chandler!"

"Daddy!" Erica and jack jumped off Monica's lap and raised to chandler's waiting arms.

"You made it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Just in time to see the sparkles!" Erica added.

Monica walked over to chandler. "So you're not mad at me?"

"Of course not. And you're not mad at me?"

"I don't even remember why we were fighting!" Monica fell into chandler's arms. Chandler kissed her and she kissed back.

"Ew," Jack said, at the sight of his parents kissing.

"Yeah, ew," Ross yelled back.

"Are you kidding me, Ross?" Monica said with a laugh. She picked up Jack and Chandler picked up Erica. He wrapped his arms around Monica and they walked back over to the table to join their friends.

"You made it just in time for Phoebe's song," Monica said. She settled down into a chair, still holding Jack. Chandler and Erica sat next to her.

Phoebe finished her song, her friends laughing and playfully rolling their eyes at her lyrics. Now, with Chandler next to her, Monica could feel that happiness. Everything was complete.


End file.
